Aftermath, Again
by Alice Bekett
Summary: Another blip about after what happened after 'Requiem for Methuselah'.Spock is better,why won't Jim try harder to win the friendship of the Vulcan?McCoy is stuck in the middle,learning more about the Vulcan after an accidental mindtouch.Who will he help?


AFTERMATH

Spock lay on the biobed, trying to combat the Rigellian Fever that maddened his brain. He was somewhat lucid, and knew his shields were down.

Doctor McCoy walked over, shot him with the anti-toxin. He felt his fever spike and he lost his lucid train of thought.

McCoy watched the transition warily, knowing if the Vulcan became delirious that it was dangerous.

Spock moaned softly, pulling weakly at the restraints.

Out of habit, the doctor placed a hand on the Vulcan's forehead, accidentally brushing over several psi points.

"… All because the word 'love' isn't written in your book." McCoy finished softly, making his point more prominent without waking Jim up.

_A stab of pain entered his body; the rant had made the Vulcan scarred, but thinking. The doctor cast a concerned glance at the sleeping man. "I truly wish he could forget." He murmured sadly. "Goodnight Spock."_

"_Goodnight, Doctor." He replied._

_McCoy left the Vulcan with the vulnerable Captain. Another stab of self-loathing. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to the sleeping man. He righted his energies in his body, and placed his fingers on his dearest friend's psi points._

_Reaching carefully into his mind. Spock said one word softly. _

"_Forget."_

_Soon after, before the Vulcan had succumbed to the Fever, Jim had stepped on the bridge, looking far more alive than he had since before meeting Rayna._

McCoy pulled away, startled.Was he mistaken, had he felt a stab of emotional pain from _Spock_, the _Spock?_ The apparently, non-emotional Vulcan?

He didn't think he was mistaken, not at all. He swallowed heavily, and brushed his fingers across the Vulcan's temple again.

"You're too scared to live, isn't it? That's why you're not scared of death, you're more afraid of living, of having another day to make sure that your control isn't going to slip."

_The Vulcan in question looked away from the human in the cell with him, looking straight ahead, tensing. A stab of pain, and knowing that his friend was right._

_A split second of losing that control, feeling anger toward this human. Suddenly, as soon as it had come, it was gone._

_He turned toward McCoy. "Really, Doctor?" He asked more hoarsely than normal._

_McCoy sighed. "I know, I'm worried about Jim too."_

_And that was that._

McCoy pried his hand away again this time was harder. He looked at the sleeping Vulcan, not knowing how much he'd hurt him.

Unknowing, Jim walked up behind the doctor. "Hey, Bones."

McCoy jumped and spun around. "Damnit! Jim."

Spock rolled onto his side. Jim looked at his second in command. He shook his head. "Damn hobgoblin." He muttered. "I know he's done something to me."

"What do you mean?" McCoy asked.

"I'm not quite sure yet, I just feel like I'm missing something, something big." Jim looked at the Vulcan.

"I can't trust him, Bones. We've been working with each other, saved each other, yet there's a wall." Jim said, looking at his CMO.

"I know, it's probably the destruction of Vulcan, Jim. He's a private man, give him time."

"Damnit, I've tried." Jim said a little sadly. "Damn hobgoblin." He murmured. "Thanks, Bones."

The youngest Captain in the history of Starfleet turned and left his CMO alone.

That CMO was disappointed at his friend, yet understood Jim's feelings about Spock.

Spock (later on) was a little wobbly on his feet, a little weak and still had a slight temperature, but that was normal after-affects.

McCoy said nothing about what had happened, he vaguely had the impression that the Vulcan knew, but didn't bring it up.

He escorted the Vulcan to his first bridge shift, knowing that _he_ would have to tell Jim about Spock and a little something called_ light _shifts.

Spock watched McCoy silently. "Stop lift." He ordered the computer softly.

"Doctor, I would appreciate you not telling anyone about you entering my memories."

"No problem, I wouldn't have anyway."

Sock looked at the Doctor in mild surprise. 'I believe the proper phrase is 'thank you'."

"Computer, start lift."

"Damn your pointy ears! You were right!" Jim said, holding he completed Rubix cube.

Spock didn't react at the comment, even though it hurt. "It is similar to a puzzle one I was given in childhood on Vulcan." He paused and fell into silence. Wrestling with the never-ending grief of the destruction of his planet.

Jim was marveling at the completed Rubix cube. "Damn." He muttered shaking his head.

Spock excused himself, and went to the observation deck.

He sat on the brightly polished floor.

The room was made up of transparent metal/glass on three of four sides, there was many chairs and couches scattered around the room, he ignored them, he was happy that the deck was empty, it often was.

He sat against the glass, knees tucked close to his chest. He let out a shuddering breath. He placed his head on his hands, which were resting on his knees. He looked toward where Vulcan used to be, a stab of guilt and sadness.

_What would you do? _He asked his mother silently. _What would you do?_

He contemplated his answer. His mother would probably have told his friends that the flippant remarks hurt.

He was a Vulcan, not a Terran. He would deal with it on his own, in his own way.

"_Thank you."_ He whispered softly to the thin air.

DONE.! I will continue if I get good feedback, if not it will either be on hiatus or be a one shot.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Star Trek, even though I really want to.


End file.
